Major repairs to a section of Kareivi? Street start

In Žirmūnai, repair works on the section of Kareivių Street from Kalvarijų to Verkių streets will start in March. Vilnius Municipality, AB Panevėžio keliai and Vilniaus planas will install a public transport lane, greenery, a dividing lane, bicycle and pedestrian paths along the 550-metre stretch. The infrastructural changes will ensure more convenient movement for all road users. Currently, Kareivių Street is a 4-lane street with no separate lane for public transport. Kareivių Street is served by trolleybuses of routes 6 and 10 and buses of routes 5G and 7. The addition of a public transport lane on Kareivių Street will save 4.96 hours of time per year for each peak hour commuter (both by public transport and by car). Public transport journey times will be reduced by 51% and speeds increased by 40% at peak times. New trees and shrubs will be planted to complement the existing ones. Trees that are resistant to the urbanised environment and do not require demanding growing conditions have been specially selected. Mountain pines, Japanese boxwoods, mountain currants and birch-barked boxwoods will be planted alongside the cycle and pedestrian paths. On the northern side of Kareivių Street, the plan is to plant chestnut, ash, small-leaved lime and osier willow. On the south side of the street the existing tree belt shall be retained. The designers have assessed the existing planting situation on both sides of the carriageway and inventoried the trees. One dead tree and six invasive big-leaved maples will be removed. The infrastructure repair works will not allow the preservation of a dozen mature trees and shrubs: three spruces, four American ash and one Scots pine, eight white-leaved pine trees, fifteen mountain pine trees. These trees will be paid a replacement value of €2 538. The reconstruction works are financed by the European Union Structural Funds. The works are expected to start in March 2022 and finish in spring 2023.